Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Day 2: Insidious (2010)

A Month of Horror

Like the genre we are here to celebrate, a sequel is always around the corner.  Horror Movies are full of sequels - from the established classics of the '80s, to today's annual cash-grab installments of the cheap and easy series.  Due to the popularity of last year's Horror Movie-A-Day, I have decided to present 31 all new (or old) horror movies for your enjoyment...

October 2: Insidious (2010)

The haunted house/possession genre is a popular one, almost as popular as the familar tag "From the makers of Paranormal Activity and Saw" that seems to adorn so many DVD covers these days.  Some are better than others.

Insidious actually delivers a relatively familiar tale, but does so in a way that seeks out a few new twists and turns as it unfolds the familiar trappings of a family who moves into a new dream home only to discover that it is more of a nightmare than a dream come true.

Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play the loving parents to young Dalton, a curious boy who explores their new home and seeks out the things that go bump in the night.  It is quite similar to Poltergeist in the early going as we soon realize that not everything is as it seems in the new house.

There are the requisite bumps in the night, the mysterious figures that appear and disappear in the background of scenes, and the introduction of a group of paranormal investigators including a medium who wears a gasmask and her two Ghost Hunter assistants.

Where Insidious grows different, is the direction the film takes after the familiar tropes have been established.  There are some surprising directions, some unique new topics, and a number of effective jump scares that make this a decent watch on a cold October night.

Tomorrow, we will take a little dip into the murky waters of Chesepeake Bay...

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